These funny first-day-of-school pictures will have you laughing into your (cold) coffee
Forget about the letterboard back-to-school school pictures, one mama has a genius first-day photo tradition of her own and her idea will make you laugh.
Leslie Brooks started her fabulously funny first-day of school photo shoots back in 2013 when her daughters were elementary school-aged. Now that her kiddos are teens and tweens, she’s made the pics into an annual event.
Brooks’ photos celebrate the freedom that back to school-time brings to parents, with scenes we all kind of dream about. From a relaxing doorstep massage to floating in the pool (on a unicorn while drinking a Starbucks Frap), Brooks’ pics totally nail the first-day vibe—from the mom’s perspective of course.
She’s not the only one who looks forward to the annual event. Her IG followers and friends wait anxiously to see what kind of picture Leslie and her crew will display each year. One commenter said “The most anticipated Instagram post of the year. We all look forward to the “First day of school” pic. You never let us down. 😂😂😂😂. Those faces. 😂😂😂😂😂”
So what do Brooks’ kiddos think of her annual photo shoots? The mom toldGood Morning America, “The kids say to me all the time, ‘this is our awesome tradition.'” Brooks went on to add, “We have so much fun with it, they really have come to look forward to the pictures every year. They even started coming up with costume and prop ideas.” But is she really THAT excited to see them go? Not really. “I adore my children,” Brooks said. “Summers are awesome and I really don’t look forward to them going back to school. I miss them incredibly.”
Those darn darts from your kiddo’s Nerf blaster are everywhere. Now you don’t need to crawl around the carpet, picking up each individual piece of foam from the floor.
The Nerf Elite Dart Rover is the toy cleaning tool you need right now. The Dart Rover looks like a mini lawn mower, but doesn’t cut down your carpeting. Instead, the River picks up those pesky little Nerf darts with a simple swipe.
photo: Amazon
Instead of a one by one pick-up process, this genius machine lets you grab up to 100 darts at a time. Along with the super-picker up potential, the Dart Rover also comes with non-slip wheels (which are perfect for your non-carpeted floors) and an adjustable handle. A mesh net basket catches darts as they fly off the floor and into the Rover.
Built for kids ages eight and up (and moms and dads too!), this grabber gadget gives your child the chance to clean up their own Nerf-tastrophy—instead of you playing the role of dart keeper.
This quick catcher retails for $29.99. Nab The Nerf Elite Dart Rover online at Amazon.
For your next painting session, challenge your little ones to skip the brushes. Believe it or not, there are countless ways to paint without paintbrushes, using everything from balloons to fly swatters. Your budding artists will get a kick out of these off-the-wall ideas. Keep reading to get inspired.
For this simple activity, No Time for Flashcards switches a paintbrush for a pinecone. It’s all about experimenting with the materials and seeing what happens when you roll the pinecone around. At the end of it, you’ve got some pretty cool abstract art too!
Kids can make their own wrapping paper with this cool idea from Childhood 101. Gather up a bunch of different textured items from around the house to make different prints, like bubble wrap, rubber bands and mesh bags.
If you’ve got a LEGO lover in your family, they’ll be obsessed with this craft from Pink Stripey Socks. They can start by making a design out of blocks, then dip it into paint and stamp it on paper. They can also experiment with using individual bricks as stamps—the sky’s the limit.
Little ones love bubbles, so it’s not surprising that they’d also get excited about bubble painting. Artful Kids has the scoop on three different ways to paint with bubbles. They’re all fun and easy, and don’t require a ton of supplies.
Popsicle painting could be the coolest way to paint… literally. With this simple idea, freezing paint is not only a fun setup process, but it’s pretty easy to clean up, too. It's a perfect project for indoors, but the icy paint also works great on the pavement outside, too! For more info on where to pick up those handy popsicle sticks, head over to Learn with Play at Home.
New combs are the best way to get clean, clear pictures, so be sure to hit up the Dollar Store before trying your own version of this bright idea from No Time for Flashcards. The drop and drag skills needed can be tackled by even the tiniest artist, making this a great weekend project—the whole family can join in on the fun!
Art is definitely not what comes to mind when you imagine a fly swatter. But, with the right supplies (butcher paper, tape, a wall and willing swatters) you’ll see creativity flying around in a few seconds flat. You’ll be Lord of the Flies all afternoon. Zip over to Munchkins and Moms for the how-to.
The family supply of cotton balls will be in major need of replenishment after trying this project, but it’s worth watching your tiniest creator get in on the action. Ideal for toddlers on up through preschool, using clothespins and cotton balls is an excellent lesson in fine motor skills; and it helps the littles keep colors separate! Find out what you can use if you don’t have a muffin pan handy, over at Domestic Mommyhood.
Pop Art just got literal. To re-create, add balloons to poster board carnival-style, and let the kids pop to it. While this scores pretty high on the mess-o-meter, the fun factor is also sky high. Want to know how it’s done? Artistic mama Crystal explains how to get just enough paint in every balloon over at Growing a Jeweled Rose.
Squeeze a little more fun out of the afternoon by mixing up a batch of microwave puffy paint. We love the recipe and tutorial perfected by Asia of Fun at Home with Kids. We really love the condiment bottles that are used as both paint container and applicator, rolled into one.
You’ll be pulling a few out anyways, so why not use sponges to make art? Create shapes and characters, or keep it simple with one style. We can’t get enough of the adorable ode to Very Hungry Caterpillar spotted over at Buggy and Buddy.
There’s nothing cookie cutter about this creative use of everyone’s favorite baking tool. Instant stamp-like prints (perfect for filling in later!), easy handling for little hands and one-step cleanup make this idea from Mama.Papa.Bubba a sweet way to fill an open afternoon.
Make tracks for the toy box and pull out the biggest, baddest monster truck, right on down to the teeniest, tiniest sports car, and watch your kids zoom their way into creativity (extra points for making vroom noises while they paint!). Cleaning up the tires may take a little more time, but the twofer on artistic and imaginary play can’t be beat. We like how mom Jeanette over at Craftwhack set up her little painter for an afternoon of colorful tread-burning fun.
Fun with Food
Gabby Cullen
They’ll have a whole new appreciation for veggies after this project. First, slice apples, potatoes, bell peppers, celery (you can even use broccoli!) or any other fresh food you find in the fridge. Then, give each kid their “stamp” and watch as they dip and print. You can even talk about why each print looks just so, adding a little science to their art.
The holidays are a few months away but now is the perfect time to lock in the perfect gift for that hard-to-please relative. Thank to a genius idea, you need look no further than Whisps.
America’s best-selling cheese crisps company is sharing the must-have gift for cheeseaholics: a personalized cheese carving. Yes, you can let award-winning cheese carver, Sarah Kaufmann, whip up a custom cheese sculpture for the ultimate cheesy gift.
The Whisps Personalized Cheese Carving ($200) knows no bounds. All you have to do is upload a hi-res image of your fave pet, place, item or person and allow two weeks for Sarah to do her magic. When finished, it will measure approximately 6.75”x3”x2.5” and will last up to two weeks when refrigerated.
If you’d rather give out a more affordable gift for your fellow cheese lover, look to the Whisps Cheese Carving Gifts ($49.99). The smaller cheese carvings are about the size of an ornament and include a 90’s-inspired flip phone, mini cheese grater and a dollar bill. They also last up to two weeks in the fridge and are totally edible!
Both gift items will be available from Oct. 1 through Dec. 10 on whisps.com.
Sometimes the only moment of peace and relaxation in a parent’s life is the brief time we get to enjoy a cookie or two––unless it’s interrupted. Luckily for us, OREO wants to give parents back their much-needed treat time.
OREO is launching the OREO THINS Protection Program so that parents can be inspired to get creative and hide their goodies. They’ve paired up with Green Giant, Ford, Hanes and Better Homes & Gardens on a special collection only a parent can love.
The specially designed camouflaged packs mean you can hide your cookie stash out in the open. Each one resembles a common household item or product like a drivers manual, cookbook and more.
The genius packs won’t be available to shop in store but OREO THINS is giving fans the chance to win them! Share your sneaky efforts on how you hide your treats on OREO’s social channels starting today, Wed. Jul. 14 for a chance to win the camo packs and a grand prize of $25,000!
Use your personal Twitter or Instagram account to enter between now and Jul. 23. Official rules can be found here.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back—and he’s coming to the small screen in an all-new animated series. Not only does this superhero-themed adventure star Schwarzenegger, it’s the brainchild of none other than Stan Lee.
Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten is one of the last creations from the icon. Now your littles can get to know Lee and his completely creative form of genius in a totally new way.
With 26 half hour episodes, there’s plenty of animated awesomeness for your kiddos to enjoy. This children’s series tells the tale of Captain Fantastic, a superhero-turned-kindergarten teacher. With laughs, action and even a lesson or two, this soon-to-be fave series has everything your kiddos want in a new show and so much more.
Find Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten on Kartoon Channel!, a free streaming platform for kids, starting Friday, Apr. 23.
Spring has sprung, and that means Easter fun is on the way! Looking for Easter gifts that aren’t going to come with a costly trip to the dentist? We have your back and are in love with the coolest kid-tech on the block—Osmo!
Osmo is an educational (but they don’t need to know that) game system that’s fun, academic, confidence-building and creative. This leading-edge tech uses tangible pieces to create a hands-on learning experience second to none. Osmo is an engaging and lovable character that connects with your child, as he can magically “see” how your child is coming along with activities and respond in real-time! A true one-on-one learning experience transforms how kids learn, combining tactile exploration with innovative technology. Bottom line—you won’t find another learning system out there like this, and your kid will keep coming back for more! Read on to learn more about the Osmo kits (and be sure to let the Easter Bunny in on your favorite for the big day!).
This Osmo kit is packed with preschool fun. With four games that touch on core subjects, your little genius will work on building letters with squishy colorful lines and rings, building vocabulary and reading skills. They’ll foster their creativity and drawing skills, watching their creations come to life. With Costume Party, they’ll experiment with clothes and colors watching their new friends react! ABCs helps kids gain confidence in letter recognition, vocabulary, construction, and phonics. Squiggle Magic helps foster creativity and pre-drawing skills. And with Stories, they can work on problem-solving as they navigate stories with their newly dressed up friends. This starter Osmo kit will spark their imagination, teach critical skills, and entertain for hours of fun with these four games!
The next step in the uber-cool Osmo universe, the Genius Starter Kit, includes everything your kids need to experience hands-on STEM learning and digital fun in five different ways. Playing Tangram is a great way to exercise spatial and visual problem-solving skills—start thinking with shapes! Words will have them zooming letter tiles around, spelling creating and having fun, while Numbers will show kids there are multiple ways to solve a problem—making math creative and fun. With Newton, physics meets creative problem-solving as your kid guides falling on-screen balls into targeted zones and avoids a catastrophe! Next, take a picture of anything and Masterpiece will transform it into simple outlines so kids can draw it to perfection. The bottom line with this kit: STEM learning can be creative and fun.
The Coding Starter Kit builds coding skills in an easy-to-learn way, by building in a progression with three hands-on learning games. Watch your kid learn to code (and maybe pick up a thing or two yourself) as they connect colorful blocks of code to chart the adventures with Osmo and friends on their screen. The first step is with Coding Awbie, building problem-solving and logic skills while learning the basic concepts of coding. Is there a DJ in the house?! With Coding Jam, kids arrange coding blocks in patterns and loops to create their own music. The third and most advanced step is Coding Duo, where kids solve advanced side-by-side puzzles on their own or with a friend for double the fun and challenge.
This crafty kit blends kids' real-life doodles with on-screen Osmo action so they can invent, explore and play! Watch your kid's creativity and communication skills bloom as they dive deep into a world of endless imagination. With Monster, they will be amazed as their doodles come to life in Osmo’s hands—it's pure magic! Draw obstacles to get balls to land on target with Newton, and with Masterpiece, any picture is broken down into traceable lines so your kid can practice creating their own works of art.
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: losing your child in a public place. There’s nothing quite like the fear of being in a busy place and not being able to see them––but TikTok mom Jess Martini has some key advice.
The mom to three boys recently shared several ways to not only locate your child in a crowded space like a store, mall, zoo or amusement park, but to potentially stop a child abduction in progress. Keep scrolling to see her tips she shared on her TikTok account!
Martini went on to share even more advice regarding how to remember what your child is wearing when you are knowingly heading into a place with tons of people––and it’s genius.
Martini’s key takeaway is to not be quiet about searching for your child. Do you feel strange doing it? Probably yes. Could it also save your child? Also yes.
As any parent would agree, it’s worth it to find your kiddo––and give them a neverending hug when you do.
Forget about crossing off your older kiddo’s name with a Sharpie just to kinda sorta scratch your younger one’s name inside a hand-me-down shirt, jacket or pair of pants—because L.L. Bean’s Hand-Me-Down Trail tag is the solution you need right now.
Whether you’re handing clothes down from one sib to the next, giving them to your BFF for their younger child or donating them in any other way, the all-important name tag can get in the way.
Now with L.L. Bean’s genius idea, you can map out at least three different owners of the item. The Hand-Me-Down Trail tag looks like a pint-sized nature map and includes space for up to three different children’s names along a tiny dashed path.
The Hand-Me-Down Trail tag is available in select L.L. Bean kids’ items, including everything from rain jackets and cozy fleece vests to the brand’s insulated playground pants!
If you’re looking to keep the kids learning and entertained now throughout the summer, we’ve got you covered. From toddler printables to elementary math and high school history, nearly every educational platform has made free or cheap online resources available to everyone. Keep scrolling to find simple ways to learn something new every day of the summer.
